We used to hear their voices moving through the spiral. We would hear them as they moved through the building. Now we don't know if the voices are approaching or receding. It's changed. Sometimes we suddenly hear them and it's as if they're right next to us. Then it gets quiet again.

They do not whisper today:
French.
Look at it from across the room.
Reds and the brushstroke.
Too crowded for me.
Kitty be careful someone behind you.

I can't tell you why we decided to do it.

It started when I realized that the whole thing only works for them because it's always unclear whether it's fake or for real. That's why nobody tries to interfere with it, and that why they let it keep going as some kind of boring game that might not be a game at all, that might end up putting a lot of people in danger. Now I feel like I have to come here all the time because it would be suspicious if I didn't. You know that there are people who would openly disapprove if I stopped coming here. I think I'm actually more worried about the people who wouldn't say anything about it to me. I think those people might be planning something for me. This is how I am now. I won't make you keep listening to this.

Heeeeer we go! ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? Yeah, you're ready. We're gonna do this fucking thing and then we're gonna get the fuck outta here yeah... Oh hello yes yes nice to meet you too. Yeah, I'm Elsaa this is my friend Orrange do you come here a lot? oh hah hah yeah I know what you mean yeah us too. It used to be half as much just a year ago! What's your favorite? oh yeah well what if you had to choose? what if someone were to put a fucking gun to your head and say you have to choose? Come on man! Oh, hah... I don't think that guy liked me very much. What's wrong with you? You're frowning.

I had to keep reminding you not to speak so loudly in the Center. It's fine for us to talk there, it's fine to have a normal conversation, but when you get excited like that, everyone starts watching us. It's not safe. Seriously, I think you messed up the whole thing. If you hadn't been so loud, we wouldn't have been brought here or to any of the other rooms for that matter. Remember how we talked about how this was supposed to go? Now I'm not sure what to do. Just look at paintings for a while I guess.

I can’t say, but I really don’t like Kandinsky all that much.

He had synesthesia, you know. Like, he heard colors and saw sounds and all that. He’s was all spiritual and everything.

That’s not a not a real thing.

What?

Synesthesia. It’s some made-up surrealist crap.

No way! It’s a neurological condition. Certain people have the wires crossed in their brain and their sensory perception is all messed up.

Ellen, it’s like female hysteria or something. It’s not an actual disease.

I don’t believe you.

Look it up.

Fine.

Good, you’ll see what I mean.

Ok, I’ll look it up.

Ok.

So what about Sunday?

Oh, I forgot to look. I think I have to work.

Ok. Well just let me know. Ok?

Asafikjhte sfkjhei as asdfiout willows adsasf uas?

Ajrwe ois iwe weriio werkiac tomorrow eirla wei weorya.

Umm whirl munch arewruw wikkkiiiii!

Mrrr.

Ok.

Annnnnnd meow werhwer is etlp.

And then we fell. When I awoke I was alone.

what it's like to think about the collision event

The only part of that series of moments I can recall with any clarity is the yellow explosion above us and the debris that just kept falling. That’s the part I can still remember well. I will put it more accurately: everything that happened before the collision event and everything that happened after it is obscured by the operations of memory. But the crash, the machines merging and shedding, the eruptions of shiny fire are endlessly replayed inside of my eyes.